Humidifying apparatus for the treatment of wool yarn



y 9, 1939- w. H. WILSON 2,157,975 a HUMIDIFYING APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF WOOL YARN Filed May 19, 193'? CRATE 0F Woo]...-

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Patented May 9, 1939 PATENT OFFICE HUMIDIFYING APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF WOOL YARN William H. Wilson, Burlington, Vt.

Application May 19, 1937 Serial No.'143,625

1 Claim.

This invention relates particularly to the treatment of wool and worsted yarn. After such yarn is spun and twisted, it is necessary to set the twist, which is usually accomplished by sub- 5 jecting the twisted yarn to a humidifying or steaming operation.

It has been the common practice to place the yarn in a closed chamber and to then inject steam into the chamber. Eventually the steam 10 would penetrate the yarn packages, but the process was very slow and the yarn was not uniformly treated. Neither could the temperature nor the degree of humidity used in the process be satisfactorily controlled.

It is the general object of my inventionto provide improved apparatus for setting the twist in wool or worsted yarn, which apparatus preferably includes means for controlling both the temperature and the humidity, and also includes 20 means for effecting a d lnite circulation of the humidified air and for directing the air through the yarn packages.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved method of setting the twist in wool or worsted yarn.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

Apparatus embodying my invention and suitable for carrying outmy improved process is shown in the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of my improved apparatus;

5 Fig. 2 is a sectional end elevation, taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional plan view, taken along the line 3-4 in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown a 40 humidifying chamber III which may desirably be formed of inner and outer walls of sheet metal, separated by heat-insulating material. The chamber I is preferably so located that its lower portion II is below the floor level F. Angle irons 45 or brackets l2 are secured to opposite'sides of the chamber l0 and support grooved rails I extending lengthwise of the chamber at the floor level.

An air duct l5 ofsubstantial capacity enters the lower portion ll of the chamber l0, and a second air duct l6 connects the upper portion of the chamber Ill to'a fan II. The fan I1 is joined by a connection It to an indirect air heater l9, to the lower portion of which the air duct l5 isin turn connected.

55 Inlet and outlet steam pipes 20 and 2| are provided for the heater l9, and a steam pipe 22 extends into the air duct I5 and is provided with perforations 23 within the air duct. Valves, 24 and 25 control the flow of steam through the pipes 20 and 22.

When the apparatus is in use, heated and humidified air is forced down through the duct 15 to the lower portion ll of the chamber Ill. The cooler and drier air is removedfrom thev upper portion of the chamber l0 through the air duct I5 by the fan 11, and is warmed by the heater l9 and humidified by the injection of additional steam through the pipe 22 before the air is returned to the chamber 10.

The temperature and degree of humidity may be controlled by suitable hand adjustment of the valves 24 and 25. These valves may also be automatically controlled by regulating devices commonly used for such purposes and which are indicated diagrammatically at 26 and 21.

The yarn packages to be treated are placed in an open crate or carriage 30 having a perforated .bottom 3|. This crate 30 is preferably mounted on wheels or rolls 33, adapted to run in the grooved rails l4 and to be guided thereby.

It is desired that all of the heated and humidified air should be forced to travel upward through the perforated bottom 3| of the crate. rather than around the outside of the crate, and accordingly I provide means for sealing the 30 crate 30 in the chamber Ill.

Baffle boards 40 are mounted on hinge strips ll at each side of the chamber and are provided with a plurality of adjusting screws- 42 threaded in bushings 43 set into the side walls of the 5.

chamber. After the crate is in position, the screws 62 may be turned to force the offset upper edge portions of the baflie plates 4|! against the sides of the crate 30.

The open end of the chamber may be closed by a door 50 (Fig. 2), hinged at 5| and secured in closed position in any convenient manner, as by clamping bolts 52. A sealing strip 54 may be provided on the inside of the door 50, which strip will be substantially equal in length to the width of the crate 30. A third baflle plate 60 may be mounted on a hinge strip 6| at the inner end of the chamber I0, and may be adjusted against the inner end of the crate 30 by one or more clamping screws 62. The plate -60 is of a length substantially equal to the width of the crate 30, so that it may swing between the ends of the side baille plates 40, as indicated in Fig. 3.

While the sealing means shown and described is satisfactory for its intended purpose, it will 55 be understood that other suitable arrangements may be made for preventing circulation around the sides of the crate. It will also be understood that the chamber l0 may be made of increased size, so that yarn packages in a plurality of crates may be treated at the same time.

The method of using my improved humiditying apparatus in the treatment of yarn will be readily understood. After the wool or worsted yarn is spun and twisted, packages of the yarn are placed in the crate 30. The crate is then rolled into the chamber I0, which is thereafter closed, and the bafile plates are adjusted. The fan I! is then started, and the valves 24 and 25 are adjusted so that a stream of heated and humidifled air is forced into the lower portion of the casing and is made to pass upward through the crate 30 and out of the top of the casing. This partially cooled and dried air is then supplied with additional heat in the heater I9 and is brought up to the desired degree of humidity by the injection of additional steam through the pipe 22, after which the air is returned to the chamber H) for further utility.

By the use of this improved method and apparatus, the moisture very quickly penetrates to the very center of each yarn package, the yarn is uniformly humidified, and the twist in the yarn is effectively set throughout all of the yarn packages and throughout every portion of each package. Furthermore, the time of the operation is very greatly reduced.

It has been found by actual test that the cost of yarn treatment by my improved method and apparatus is only about one-fourth of the cost under the old method of injecting live steam into a closed chamber.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claim, but what I claim is:

Humidifying apparatus for setting twist in wool yarn which comprises a chamber, means to support a crate of yarn packages therein, said crate having ;a perforated bottom, means to supply heated and humidified air to the lower part of said chamber, a fan to remove said air from the top of said chamber, sealing means to guide said air upward through said crate only, and means to reheat and rehumidify said air, said sealing means forming a barrier between the lower part of said chamber into which heated and humidified air is delivered and the upper part of said chamber from which said air is withdrawn for recirculation.

WILLIAM H. WILSON. 

